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ERU deployed, couple arrested and charged

WORTHINGTON -- Charges were filed in two separate cases Tuesday against a Round Lake man who was removed from his home by the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Sunday morning.

Jermain Edwards Schroeder, 25, formerly of Pipestone, was charged in the first case with terroristic threats, giving a false name to a peace officer and fifth-degree assault. The second file contains charges of domestic assault, obstructing the legal process or apprehension of another with force, reckless use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. His girlfriend, Wynette Adaire Harris, 20, was charged with obstructing the legal process.

The two cases against Schroeder involve two separate incidents, both in Round Lake.

The first complaint states authorities were called to Farley and Sathers to investigate a report of an assault Feb. 2. The deputy was advised that the suspect was driving around town in a tan car.

The deputy located the tan car and spoke to the driver, who was talking loudly and appeared upset. The man identified himself as James Schroeder and said someone had broken into his house while he and his girlfriend were asleep. When they left the house to try to locate a person who may have broken in, they saw a vehicle pull into the parking lot of Sathers, he said. Schroeder allegedly admitted he got out of his car and hit the other man several times because he thought he had been in his house.

The victim said he had driven home during a break, and when he got back to work he noticed a car follow him into the parking lot. He saw a man get out of the car and come toward him, yelling and screaming at him and accusing him of being in his house.

The victim told the deputy he had never seen the man or the woman with him before. He said his wife could verify he had just come from home, which she later did.

Back at Schroeder's house, the deputy believed Schroeder was acting strange, so he asked if Schroeder was on drugs. Schroeder said he was bipolar and takes medication. The deputy warned Schroeder for trespassing at Sathers and left.

When he came back the next day for follow-up, he found a woman at the house who identified herself as Schroeder's mother.

She told the deputy her son James lives in Adrian, and that the deputy was actually looking for her other son Jermain, who lives in Round Lake and uses his brother's name often. Her son Jermain, she said, had been diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia and hasn't taken his medication for over a year.

Less than a week later, at approximately 4:30 a.m., law enforcement was called to the Schroeder residence in Round Lake by Jermain Schroeder. He told dispatch there was a bloody bag with a dead body in his living room, and people outside trying to get in.

Two deputies responded, and as they approached the house, they could see Schroeder pacing back and forth inside carrying what looked like a machete. A woman, later identified as Harris, was also inside.

When the deputies asked to see the dead body in a bag, Schroeder produced a plastic grocery bag filled with a dark liquid. He said there were people in and around his house and proceeded to have angry outbursts, banging the machete against the walls while screaming nonsensically.

An officer tried to encourage Schroeder and Harris to come outside, but they refused. The authorities contacted Schroeder's mother, who owns the house, and were given permission to enter the residence. The deputies were instructed to deploy the ERU team to take custody of Schroeder.

The team entered the house after kicking in a door. Schroeder was rolled off the bed onto the floor and commanded to put his hands behind his back. Instead, he curled his arms up under his body. He allegedly refused to follow instructions until authorities were forced to tase him to gain compliance.

During that time, Harris was screaming and obstructing the officers' attempts to take him into custody. An officer arrested her for obstruction and physically removed her from the house. She reportedly screamed at the officer in the vehicle for the trip to Worthington.

The officer could see she had a black eye and bruises, but she refused medical attention. She said the bruises were caused by a woman who had hit her because she slept with the woman's husband. Harris allegedly admitted she and Schroeder had been using methamphetamines a couple of times a week.

While being booked into jail for obstruction, jail staff noted Harris had bruises all over her body. While the jailer photographed the bruises, Harris allegedly said, "He didn't do any of this to me."

Schroeder was taken to the hospital, where he told authorities he has lived in Round Lake for two months. He said Harris had told him the day before she had cheated on him with a bunch of people, but denied hitting her. He admitted to smoking marijuana and injecting meth.

Both the mental health unit and detox refused to take Schroeder because of his violent history and recent meth use, so he was taken to the Nobles County Jail.

Schroeder has an extensive list of past charges that range from assault to witness tampering, with convictions for assault, obstruction, terroristic threats and more. Most of the charges stem from incidents in Pipestone County. The convictions have led to multiple jail stays and probation in effect until December 2010.